EggIndustry * 5
Conventional cages banned
first in Oregon, Washington
Willamette Egg Farm prepares for implementation of legislation
in Washington and Oregon requiring shell eggs and egg products
sold to come from hens housed in enriched cages or cage-free.
BY TERRENCE O'KEEFE
➤ It appears Oregon and Washington will be
the first U.S. states to ban conventional cages for
housing hens, even though many animal rights
groups thought implementation of Proposition 2 would make California first.
The regulations that outline compliance with Proposition 2's language allow
for hens to be kept in conventional cages, but they have to be given substantially more space per bird. It is still possible
that California's housing standards will
be challenged in court and subsequently
changed; if not, Oregon and Washington
may gain the "distinction" of being the
first states without conventional cages.
Oregon and Washington
ballot initiatives
Greg Satrum, co-owner, Willamette
Egg Farm, said that in advance of a state
Hazelnut groves, top, surround many of the
Willamette Egg Farms' layer and pullet houses at its Oregon farms.
Craig Satrum, co-owner of Willamette Egg Farm,
said that their best cage-free performance
comes from hens housed in aviaries, bottom.
www.WATTAgNet.com * July 2015
ballot initiative which would mandate how
laying hens were housed in Oregon, his farm
hosted numerous groups through his farm's
layer houses so key people could see what hens
housed in conventional cages, cage-free aviaries, cage-free on the floor and enriched cages
looked like.
Photos and videos provided by Big Dutchman:
www.bigdutchmanusa.com/egg-production/
cage-free/rearing/
"Every [housing] system has advantages and
disadvantages," Satrum said. "Visually, the
cage-free houses [on the floor and aviaries] have
the most open, free feel about them, but when
ventilation levels are low in cool weather the air
quality in those houses can get marginal."
The reaction of people who toured the facilities varied, according to Satrum.
"Typically, folks who came through didn't
like the traditional floor system as much, just
because it is smelly and dusty," he said. "They
thought the aviary was pretty pleasant, but still
dusty. The first thing people would comment on
in the conventional houses was how good the
air quality was."

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